The More Things Change
by Nardragon
Summary: ...The more they stay same. And odd saying, but a true one, as Elsa learned first hand. This is how Elsa's life changed, and stayed the same after the Great Thaw.
1. the more they stay the same

This idea struck me like lightening and instantly I knew I had to write. Each chapter will be a vignette (short sketch).

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_The more things change, the more they stay the same._ It was an odd saying. Elsa used to believe it was too paradoxical to hold any truth. It was impossible for something to change while staying the same. It made no sense, that's what Elsa thought.

...Or it was what she used to think before the 'Great Thaw'. Since then she'd seen firsthand that truly, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Her world had been completely transformed after she'd learnt the key to controlling her powers, yet at the same time there were those constants that remained resolutely unaltered. Those small mercies that never ceased to amaze her.

These are the ways her life changed…and stayed the same.

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I wrote this story head of time so I'd have material to upload while I have exams (which will last for the next six weeks). It would have killed me to go so long without uploading anything so I wrote the story before hand and have enough chapters (even though they are very short) to post once a week until exams are finished. To all my followers I hope you will bear with me.

Nardragon~ until the next page.


	2. Do you want to build a snowman?

"Do you want to build snowman?"

The first time Elsa heard those words after the 'Great Thaw' out of habit she tensed, closing her eyes and gripping her wrist in an attempt to block Anna's voice. As always, those six words caused a flurry of opposing emotions to war inside her. A familiar lump fear crept up in her throat, while her heart ached with yearning and her mind screamed with images of an all-too real nightmare.

Then…  
"Elsa, come on, you can't do work all day," Anna said opening the door to her sister's study. And just like that the lump was gone. The pain in her chest subsided. Her thoughts stilled. Seeing Anna's easy smile reminded her she didn't have to say no, or remain shut behind the door. She didn't have to break her own heart by breaking her sister's one. She no longer had to worry about her nightmares coming true.

"Well?" Anna asked leaning against the door frame waiting for her sister's reply. Elsa felt a smile slowly grow on her face. She put down her quill and stood, "Yes, I'd love to build a snowman,"  
The smile on Anna's face grew even more and she held out her hand. Elsa took it and let her sister lead her outside.

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next chapter: Doors

Nardragon~ until the next page.


	3. Doors

Doors

This was a weird one. It wasn't like doors could ever not be part of her life. But her view on the inanimate object had changed so much it was almost comical. Now a door was just that, a piece of wood that could open and close. It wasn't a necessary evil anymore. It wasn't a barrier that protected the rest of the world from her. It wouldn't mock her anymore like it used to when she would glare at it as she listened to Anna's voice coming from the other side, wishing she could open it, knowing she couldn't. She no longer both hated and loved a door for being that two inch distance between her and Anna.

Doors were just doors now. Although, old habits still died hard. She'd still lock her door without really realising it. The first time (post the Thaw) Anna found the door to her room locked she'd had a panic attack and tantrum rolled into one. It's taken Elsa the better part of an hour to calm her down and stop her yells and tears. Even then the princess didn't settle until Elsa placed two small objects in her hands. With a sniffle Anna looked in her palm and saw two keys.  
"Wha-"  
"The keys to my room and study, just incase I ever forget I'm not supposed to lock doors anymore," Elsa said with a gentle smile. Anna let out a half sob half laugh and threw her hands around Elsa's neck.

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next time - Chocolate

Naedragon~ until the next page.


	4. Chocolate

Alright, I am supposed to upload every Friday, but in honor of the Once Upon A Time season finale I thought I would post a chapter today. For anyone who saw it are you excited as I am about Elsa in Storybrooke? Because I had minor freakout (and by minor I mean I woke the whole neighbourhood) when I saw the last minute of the episode. And if you don't watch Once, I would highly recommend it. If you are enough of a Disney fan to be reading Frozen fanfiction, then you will enjoy this show.

Enough about Once, enjoy the chapter, it's actually on the long side.

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Chocolate.

Okay, so this one maybe more stayed the same than changed. She never stopped loving chocolate. She was pretty sure it was impossible for her to stop loving chocolate. But chocolate had become more than a sweet treat. It was a means for hers and Anna's reconnection. Thirteen years living two separate lives yet all it took was a few pieces of chocolate and a roaring fire and the sisters were talking into the wee hours of the morning like no time had passed at all.

Elsa remembered one particularly enjoyable night the pair had stayed up. Anna had convinced the chefs to make some extra chocolate and the pair had quickly eaten through most. Elsa absentmindedly took up another piece of chocolate but halfway to her mouth a hand grabbed her wrist. Elsa looked at Anna, with a confused look.  
"Something wrong?" She asked.  
"That's the last piece of chocolate," Anna said matter-of-factly. Elsa glanced down to the plate between them and saw it was spotless. Elsa looked back up, a smirk gracing her lips.  
"And?" She asked an amused tone to her voice.  
"_Elsa,"_ Anna whined.  
"Oh, do you want it?" Elsa asked raising a single eyebrow.  
"Yeah, kind of," Anna said.  
"Oh well," Elsa shrugged and continued to lift the chocolate to her lips. Anna let out a pained cry.  
"Elsa, come on!"  
"You're acting like you _didn't_ eat most of the chocolate,"  
"I didn't! You had more than me,"  
"I did not," Elsa retorted.  
"Did so,"  
"Did not,"  
"Give it," Anna made a grabbed for the chocolate but Elsa was quicker leaning back and holding it out of her reach. Anna stretched for the chocolate but Elsa held her back with her free hand.

"You're not acting very princess like," Elsa commented still trying to hold her off.  
"Said by the queen who has a hand smooched to her sister's face," Anna said while making useless grabs for the chocolate well out of her reach. In one final attempt Anna surged forward, knocking Elsa backwards onto the couch. The chocolate fell from her hands and in the most anti-climatic manner possible landed on the floor. The sisters looked dully at the fallen treat for all of three seconds, then they looked at each other. Suddenly the room was filled with laughter as the queen and princess collapsed into fits of giggles, they were unable to restrain. It took several minutes for the pair to finally stop and regain their breath.

"Why was that so funny?" Anna asked when she calmed enough to speak. Elsa shook her head as she wiped away tears of laughter.  
"I have no idea," Elsa said still laughing a bit. She stood and held out a hand for Anna. The latter gave her confused look until Elsa said, "I'm going to the kitchens, if you don't want to come that's fine." Elsa turned walking to the door. Anna's scramble to get her feet under her was so haphazard she hit the floor first before standing. Finally managing to gain her footing she ran to Elsa.  
"And let you eat all the chocolate on your own? Not likely,"

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Next Time- Elsa's Room.

Nardragon~ until the next page.


	5. Elsa's Room

Her room.

To anyone who saw Elsa's room they wouldn't know there'd been any change at all, (if anyone actually knew what Elsa's room looked like before the Thaw). But to Elsa the changes in her room were some of the biggest. Of course there was the door which she didn't have to close anymore. But there were other things too. The fact that her normally orderly and pristine belongings would spontaneously, be found out of place or knocked over. And her closet unusually perfectly organised, was suddenly disorganised and dresses mysteriously vanishing for days at a time only to reappear with a notably worn look to them. And then there were the suspicious crumbs on her mattress.

Whenever Elsa noticed such an occurrence she couldn't help but smile since they were all obvious indications that a certain princess had been in her room. So Elsa didn't mind the mess, or the missing dresses or even the remnants of snacks on her bed.

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next time: Snowmen

Nardragon~ until the page


	6. Snowmen

Snowmen

Snowmen…snowmen were an odd thing in Elsa's life. They had gone from a thing that she remembered with absolute joy, making them with Anna with they were children, before that most horrible of nights, to a painful reminder of why she had to remain shut in her room then again to something of joy. A snowman was now one of her best friends. While she remembered them as a painful reminder of being shut away from the world, during that time they'd also become an object of console.

The thirteen years she'd been locked away in her room were filled with forlorn and empty days. There were those moments when it didn't matter what she did. No matter how many books she read, or puzzles she'd build, or games of chess she play against herself. There were those moment when her loneliness would come up in a painful wave and leave her curled on the floor surrounded by snow and ice. In those moments she give into the pain and do the one thing she wanted more than anything else. She'd build a snowman. It was never perfect, because Anna wasn't there, but it something.

Once her companion was complete the pain would ease and she wouldn't feel so alone anymore.

In that way snowmen were always a pillar in her life. They always meant something to her, whether pain and anger, or joy and comfort.

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next time: Anna

Nardragon~ until the next page.


	7. Anna

Anna.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Even if this wasn't true of anything thing else in her life, it was true of Anna. Adorable, childish, lovable Anna.

Thirteen years.  
That's how long she'd shut herself away. That's how long she had to push away her sister. Thirteen years. So she really shouldn't have been surprised by how much Anna had changed. But just because she was expected it didn't make it any less jarring that her sister, who she remembers with little pig tails and cute chubby cheeks, became a beautiful, intelligent princess. Her sister who she remembers playing in the pond in the garden trying to catch frogs (claiming one of them could be a prince in disguise) and sneaking into kitchen to steal sweets was suddenly sneaking away to the garden with a certain ice harvester, who may not have been a prince but was worth ten princes to the princess.

It almost wasn't fair, thirteen years apart and finally when they got to be together she had to start letting go again. Although, she wouldn't have to let go entirely. That still didn't make it fair.

But she supposed she was lucky, for every way Anna had changed there was a way she hadn't. She still begged to build snowmen and still crashed her bike and still slid down banisters. She still loved chocolate. She still would stay up half the night, only to be impossible to wake in the morning. She still knew how to make her sister give into anything with those dammed puppy dog eyes.

And she still was able to cause a swell of emotions in Elsa with just her presence. Only now it wasn't regret, pain and turmoil. Now it was happiness, serenity and hope_._

Anna was the reason her life changed on that night so long ago, making her realise just what her powers were capable and which lead to thirteen years of isolation. She was the reason it changed again, on the night of the coronation (although that was just as much Elsa's fault as it was Anna's).

But above all, it was Anna that changed her view of her powers. It was through Anna's willingness to go the ends of the earth for Elsa (or to the North Mountain in this case) and her readiness to give up everything to protect the ones she loved that Elsa learnt the most important lesson of her life.

_Only an act of true__love__can thaw a frozen heart. _

_Love_. That was all this came down to. It was her love for Anna that started this story. It was Anna's love for her that had ended it. She loved her sister, and her sister loved her. And that was something that would never change.

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And with this 'The More Things Change' comes to a close. I'd like to thank you for reading, this was one of my favorite Frozen fanfics so far and I'm really glad I got to share it with you. And I hope you will check out some of my other stories.

Nardragon~ until the next page.


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